Who's Who...Meet Ann of Wild Thyme

Meet our favorite vintage clothing dealer, Ann of Wild Thyme!  Ann is known for her beautiful clothing, accessories & hats.  Here is a little bit more about Ann.

Wild Thyme is my retirement business, something I began after completing a career in teaching and youth services, but my interest in vintage clothing and antique textiles, like me, has been around a long time.

I began wearing vintage when I was in college in the 1960’s – Victorian petticoats, 1930’s men’s suit vests. I loved combining styles and eras to find my own look. In the late 70’s I lived in Amsterdam for a short while and spent many happy hours in flea markets there and in Paris. I came home with my suitcases full of old lace and vintage bits and pieces…over 30 years later I am still doing the same thing!
My son and his family live in Berlin, Germany and I visit often, scouring the Flohmarkts for antique linens and vintage clothing.

German flea market

What I love best about Wild Thyme is how it connects me to family and friends, both here and in Germany. Everyone helps me with the shopping and the storage…even friends of friends have been known to bring along one of Grandma Anna’s suitcases when flying to the U.S.   Because of Wild Thyme I have had additional motivation to learn to speak German and can now bargain effectively in at least two languages; although my four year old granddaughter will soon be better at this than I am. She has the extra advantage of being incredibly cute. My mother, who is 88 this year, is still an expert seamstress and helps me with mending and ironing. She loves to visit the store and meet customers and amazingly makes it to the third floor easily – a great inspiration to me in many ways!

The best fun though, is meeting my wonderful customers. People love to be reminded of their mothers or their grandmothers or perhaps their younger selves. Clothes and hats and handbags and kitchen towels or tablecloths, these small things can sometimes bring back past lives more vividly than more serious and costly antiques. I love how people exclaim when something triggers a memory. And I love all the stories I hear.

I feel very, very lucky to have found a niche at the Lucketts Store among all the wonderful dealers and people who work there. It is a perfect place for me, both close to my home and close to my heart!

Ann

Lots of lace from Berlin Flohmarkts

Antique linen German ironing cloths

Vintage Euro shams

My beautiful granddaughter dancing in her 1950's vintage dress

  

  

  

Please visit Ann on the third floor of The Old Lucketts Store (dealer code RAM), or her Facebook page, where she shares pictures and information about what she's bringing in to the shop.